Information such as personal data and other sensitive information may be passed across a network such as the Internet, for example to provide credential information, payment information, or personal account management information. To protect sensitive information, the information can be transmitted over a secure transmission connection, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
To secure information from unauthorized review, the information can be digitally encrypted. One example of digital encryption is public key cryptography. In the public key cryptography scheme, two separate but mathematically-connected keys (e.g., numeric values) are used to secure the information. The first, a public key, is used to encrypt the data using an encryption algorithm. The second, a private key, can be used by the receiver of the data to decrypt the encrypted information. The receiver supplies the sender with the public key such that the sender is capable of securely transmitting information to the receiver.
The receiver of sensitive information may be obligated to secure the privacy of the user from unauthorized access to the sensitive information. Information may be sensitive if the information is confidential (e.g., industry and/or professional standards indicate that only designated parties should have access to the information). Information may be sensitive if a party incurs regulatory obligations for handling the information due to exposure to the information. Information may be sensitive if a party incurs potential liability due to handling of and/or exposure to the information.
The receiver of the sensitive information, in some circumstances, may request the sensitive information from the user, not for use by the requestor, but for processing by a third party, such as a credit card system or a health insurance authorization system. There is a desire for a method and apparatus capable of enabling the conveyance of sensitive information through the system of the requestor without the requestor having access to the contents of the conveyance. If the requestor is incapable of rendering and/or interpreting the sensitive information, the requestor may avoid obligation to protect the sensitive information.